Instant Pot Mac And Cheese
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Who can resist a generous serving of Southern soul food mac and cheese? This creamy dish blends cheddar and macaroni with a hint of paprika, dried mustard, garlic, and onion powder for that extra flavor kick.
It’s a tradition we may not fully appreciate – the enduring legacy of our Southern grandmothers and mothers, who have been perfecting pots of soul food mac and cheese for generations. It’s become a cherished part of our cultural heritage, from heartwarming family gatherings to festive holidays and soulful Sundays.
Can you make macaroni and cheese in the Instant Pot?
Instant Pot cooking makes mac and cheese quick and easy. Using my Instant Pot for this recipe has transformed a soulful family favorite into a weeknight dinner breeze!
This handy appliance affords time-savings and ease, meaning creamy, cheesy pasta can be on the table in mere minutes—3 minutes, to be exact!
Ingredients
This Southern soul food recipe is the ultimate comfort food, made from scratch with soul food seasonings, silky evaporated milk, and delicious cheddar cheeses. If you want to take it to the next level by baking it, you can find the recipe for Black folks’ baked mac and cheese HERE!
Measurements for the recipe can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Elbow macaroni noodles are the base of the dish.
- Water is necessary for pressure cooking in the Instant Pot.
- Evaporated milk is the silky dairy component for a smooth and creamy cheese sauce that easily melds with the macaroni.
- Butter helps create a rich, velvety cheese sauce and stops the noodles from sticking to the inner pot.
- Sharp cheddar cheese is necessary for a true American-flavored mac and cheese dish.
- Colby-Jack cheese is a softer flavor balance to the sharp cheddar cheese.
- Soul food seasoning and spices for macaroni and cheese, including garlic powder, onion powder, dried mustard, paprika, salt, and black pepper, elevate this dish from America’s favorite to a soul food recipe!
What does evaporated milk do in mac and cheese?
Evaporated milk is closer to cream than regular milk. So, it creates a smooth and creamy cheese sauce with a silky coating for the noodles. This allows the homemade cheese sauce to meld effortlessly and prevents clumping, a floury taste, or greasy pools of broken-apart cheese.
How to make Instant Pot mac and cheese
Ready your kitchen because this easy drop-in-a-pot recipe will simplify your weeknight dinner routine! Before beginning this quick culinary sprint, it’s important to have a standard 6-quart Instant Pot for this recipe.
Step-by-step instructions with guided pictures can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and add the ingredients: water, milk, butter, noodles, garlic powder, onion powder, dried mustard, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir the mixture to blend the ingredients and submerge the macaroni in the liquid.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on high.
- Remove the Instant Pot lid and stir the macaroni.
- Fold in the remaining butter and cheese.
- Let the sauce sit and thicken, then serve this easy Instant Pot mac and cheese right away, and enjoy!
How long does it take to make macaroni and cheese in the Instant Pot?
An effortless one-pot recipe, this dish pressure cooks in just 3 minutes! Then, allow a natural pressure release of 5 minutes, and it’s ready to eat!
How to prep ahead
To make this 3-minute recipe even easier, you can prepare it ahead by adding all the ingredients, except the butter, milk, and cheese, to the Instant Pot and closing the lid. Add the butter and milk when ready for dinner, then pressure cook.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Refrigerate this Instant Pot Mac and cheese recipe because it contains perishable ingredients: butter, milk, and cheese. It can last for five days in the fridge. Mac and cheese can be frozen for up to three months when tightly wrapped or sealed in an airtight container. Then, you can reheat it in the oven or microwave when you’re ready to enjoy more.
If you’re wondering what to serve with mac and cheese, check out my post HERE.
For the cherished story of the Black history of mac and cheese, head to my post HERE.
Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni uncooked elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided: 2 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese shredded
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard dried
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Open the Instant Pot lid and add to the stainless steel inner pot: water, evaporated milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, noodles, garlic powder, onion powder, dried mustard, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir the mixture to blend the ingredients and ensure the noodles are submerged in the liquid.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Give the macaroni a stir to loosen it.
- Then, fold in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the cheese until the mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Allow the sauce to sit and thicken for about 5 minutes on the Instant Pot 'keep warm' setting.
- Serve right away, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Like this post? Pin the below image to your Pinterest “Soul Food Recipes” board!
I love that this is a one-pot recipe, still with soul food flavor